1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cable connectors for connecting coaxial radio frequency cables together. More particularly, the present invention relates to a single connector assembly for a hollow center conductor of a coaxial radio frequency cable that can be attached to either a smooth wall type hollow center conductor or a corrugated wall type hollow center conductor.
1. Description of the Prior Art
Coaxial radio frequency (RF) cables having hollow center conductors are generally used for many applications including land mobile, microwave broadcast and radar band frequencies. Such cables typically comprise an outer conductor fabricated from copper, a copper hollow center conductor, a dielectric foam spaced between the outer and center conductors and a jacket over the outer conductor. The hollow center conductors can have a smooth wall or a corrugated wall.
Coaxial RF cables are typically terminated with a connector or connected to one and other with a splice. One example of such a connector is shown in Rauwolf, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,533. The connector shown and described therein generally has several elements for attaching the connector to a cable. The attachment elements include a clamping member for grasping and making an electrical connection with the outer conductor of the cable, and a inner contact assembly for mating and making electrical contact with the center conductor.
Prior art hollow center conductor connectors or contacts are typically manufactured and designed exclusively for mating with either a hollow center conductor having the corrugated wall, as shown in Rauwolf, or a hollow center conductor having the smooth wall, but not both. Accordingly, because RF cables used in the industry may have either a corrugated wall or a smooth wall hollow center conductor, RF cable connector manufacturers, installers, maintenance personnel, and others dealing with RF cables of this type have had to manufacture, supply and carry in inventory two different types of hollow center conductor connectors. This drawback can lead to excess inventory, higher operating costs and lower profitability.